Jared Herrick, a 37-year old man, has just been handed a 17-year jail sentence for roles in the fatal arson that led to the death of three people in Sudbury in April 2021. Having already served part of his sentence, Herrick still has a lingering 13 ½ years to be spent in confinement. Last December saw him pleading guilty to one count of arson causing bodily harm and three counts of manslaughter.
The victims, Jamie-Lynn Lori-Lee Rose, Guy Armand Henri, and Jasmine Marie-Claire Somers, tragically lost their lives when Herrick set a Bruce Avenue row housing afire on April 11, 2021. The incident also left another individual severely injured following a desperate escape through a window.
An ongoing publication ban keeps the exact details of that fateful night under wraps as the trial for the alleged co-conspirator, Liam Stinson, is slated for 2024. Stinson appeared in a different court for a separate hearing this Tuesday, on the same day Herrick was sentenced.
Herrick, donned in a white T-shirt, grey pants, and adorned with tattoos along his arms, was permitted to sit by his attorney, Len Walker, when Justice Patrick Boucher passed his sentence. Among those present in court were approximately 20 kinfolk and friends of the victims. Many struggled to contain their emotions as Boucher elucidated the horrific events of the night which resulted in such anguish and loss.
Herrick’s defence argued that his unlawful actions were fueled by a long-standing drug addiction. Starting from 2019, Herrick took fentanyl daily until the day the crime was committed. Furthermore, he wrestles with major depression and PTSD, a byproduct of past childhood trauma. Regardless, the Crown contended that Herrick shouldered a high degree of responsibility for the damage he inflicted.
Boucher conveyed the devastating reality that Jamie-Lynn Lori-Lee Rose’s children remained unaware of the excruciating pain their mother endured from severe burns prior to her passing. He referred to the task of sharing this grim truth with them as “an unbearable burden.”
Despite being deemed a strong candidate for rehabilitation, Herrick’s crimes were undeniably intentional according to Boucher. They maintained that although Herrick might have believed the property was vacant, he failed to assure himself of that fact before committing the act.
In another development, Philippe Jeannotte was handed a 16-year sentence in March for his involvement in the fatal arson. Both Herrick and Jeannotte were believed to be equally at fault, but Herrick’s longer criminal record earned him the longer sentence.
Last autumn, Riley Roy admitted to obstructing police progress during investigations and was charged with planning to commit a break-and-enter. Meanwhile, the charges against Fernand Bolduc have been temporarily stayed to allow the Crown time to gather more evidence. The trial date for Liam Stinson, the final suspect in the case, is yet to be set.
